Signal system



April 1937- w. c. EDWARDS 2,076,987

S IGNAL SYS TEM Filed May 25, 1934 INVENTOR William C. Edwards his ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, 1937 PATENT OF-F lC-E 2,076,987 SIGNAL SYSTEM William Corr-ell Edwards, Anderson, Ind., as-

signor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware 1 Application May 25, 1934, Serial No. 727,476

3 Claims.

This invention relates to circuit control devices, and more particularly to control devices "in which the circuit may be closed manually, also automatically opened within a certain period of time after the circuit is closed.

An object of the invention is to provide a manual control member adapted to be moved into either one of several selective positions, to close a circuit from a current source to a lamp, the lamp being provided with legends or other suitable indicia indicating a leftor a right-hand turn. a

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a controller lever for the circuit from the current source to either of the lamps whereby the circuit after being established manually by the controller will remain closed for a predetermined length of time, after which time the controller is automatically returned to its normal position by resilient means. This is accomplished by the manually operated conducting lever interposed between simple and effective electro-responsive devices, the lever being held in a circuit open or normal position by the resilient means. The electro-responsive devices comprise an electro-magnet and a thermo-responslve device. The electro-magnet being energized upon the manual movement of the lever to close a circuit to one of the lamps said magnet holding the lever against the resilient means to maintain the circuit closed, and the thermo-responsive de- 7 vice associated with the electro-magnet and operable after the lamp circuit has been closed a predetermined length of time to open a switch and cause the deenergization of the electro-magnet and allowing the resilient means to return the lever to its normal or circuit open position.

Further objects and advantagesof the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

The figure of the drawing is a wiring diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring. to the wiring diagram, a storage battery 26 has one terminal grounded as at 2| and the other-terminal is electrically connected by a lead 22 to a manually operable conducting lever or armature 23 pivoted at 24. This armature has a contact 56 which extends on each side thereof. The armature is movable between two stationary contacts 26 and 21. The normal position of the armature is substantially midway between the stationary contacts 26 and 21 and is yieldingly held in its normal position by spring 25, 25 of the same tension. One end of each spring is connected to the armature and the other end of iv each springis connected to. pins or other suitable members.

Direction signal lamps or other suitable translating devices to be selectively connected through the armature 23 with the battery are indicated as lamps 28 and 29. The lamps are provided with suitable indicla, such as arrows, not shown, to indicate the progression of an automotive vehiole. The lamp 26 is electrically connected to the stationary contact 26 by a conductor 30, while the lamp 29 is electrically connected to a stationary contact 21 by a conductor 3|.

An electromagnet 35 and an electro-responsive means 36 are connected in a parallel relation with respect to each other to the stationary contact 26. The electro-responsive device is shown to include a resistance coil 31 wound about two plates 39 and 40, the latter is adapted to expand to a greater extent than the former when subject to heat and causes the contact 4| to be separated from contact 42, which contacts are normally closed by the plate 40. The contact 4| is secured at one end to the plates 39 and 40, while the other end. of the plates are connected to ground. One end of the coil 31 is connected to the plate 39,

While the other end is electrically connected to i the stationary contact 26 by a lead 43.

The armature 23, shown in the position illus-.

trated in the drawing, is in its normal position or circuit open position. When it is desired to close the circuit to connect the lamp 28 with the battery 20, the armature is manually moved in a clockwise direction to connect one side of the contact with the contact 26 and thus establish a circuit from the battery 20 through elements 22, 23, 50, 26, 30 and to the lamp 28. The electromagnet 35 is provided for magnetically holding the armature 23 to maintain the contact 50 into engagement with the contact 26 for a limited time against the tension of one of the springs 25, during which the plates 39 and 40 become heated by radiation from the coil 31. The plate 40 by reason of greater expansion will carry the contact 4| away from the contact 42. thereby opening a circuit leading from heating device to the electromagnet 36. As soon as the contacts II and 42 are separated, the electromagnet 35 is deenergized and the armature 23 is returned to its normal position by one of the springs 25, thus the circuit to lamp 23 is disconnected from the battery and allows the plates 39 and 46 to cool devices may apply to the opening and closing of the circuit to the lamp 29.

It is obvious that the present invention is ap-,

plicable to control any desired number of lamps, and this may be accomplished by pivoting the armature or conducting member in a ball and socket connection with the battery at 22. It is to be understood that the wiring diagram shown is merely illustrative, and does not in any way limit the scope of the present invention, since any other system of wiring and connection may be employed to obtain the results which it is desired to obtain.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form,

- it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a self interrupting signal circuit for automotive vehicles, the combination comprising; a current source; a stationary terminal; a movable contact connected with the current source and normally out of engagement with theterminal; a signal lamp circuit, an electromagnetic circuit,

and a cancelling circuit including electro-thermal means, each of said circuits connected in parallel with the stationary terminal and having a common return to the source, said electromagnetic circuit including an electromagnet positioned so as to hold said movable contact in engagement with the stationary terminal when energized and a pair of normally engaged contacts, one of said contacts being supported by the thermal means and separable thereby from the other contact on a rise in temperature; and manual means-for actuating the movable contact into engagement with the stationary terminal to connect the parallel circuits with the source whereby said electromagnet will hold the movable contact in engagemen't with the stationary terminal until the thermal means operates to separate the pair of contacts whereupon the electromagnet will become deenergized causing the movable contact to return to its -.normal position and the parallel circuits to be disconnected from the source.

2. A self interrupting selective signal system for automotive vehicles, comprising in combination; a current source; a plurality of fixed terminals; a movable contact interposed between the terminals connected with the sourceand normally out of engagement with the terminals; a plu- -rality of pairs of similar circuits, one circuit of each pair being connected to each fixed terminal and having a common return to the source, said circuits comprising a lamp circuit, a cancelling circuit including electro-thermal means and an electromagnetic circuit all connected in parallel to the fixed terminal, said electromagnetic circuit including anelectromagnet, and a pair of normally engaged contacts one of which is carried by the thermal means to complete the electromagnetic circuit through a part of the thermal means; and manual means for actuating the movable contact into selective engagement with one of the fixed terminals to connect the parallel cirdisconnect the parallel circuits from the current source.

3. In a self interrupting signal circuit for motor vehicles, the combination comprising; a current source; a stationary terminal; a pivoted member connected with the source and normally out of engagement with the terminal; a signal lamp circuit, an electromagnetic circuit, and a cancelling circuit including a bi-metal strip and. a heating coil, each of said circuits connected in parallel with the stationary terminal and having a common return to the source, said electromagnetic circuit including an electromagnet and a pair of normally engaged contacts one of which is carried by the bi-metal strip to complete the electromagnetic circuit through the -bi-metal strip; manually operable means for actuating the pivoted member into engagement with the terminal to close the parallel circuits, said pivoted member remaining in engagement with the terminal through the influence of the electromagnet when energized until the heating coil causes the strip to separate the contacts, whereupon the signal lamp, heating coil and electromagnet are deenergized simultaneously; and spring means for returning the pivoted member to its normal position. Y

WILLIAM, CORRELL EDWARDS. 

